Aesop: The Cult Beauty Brand That Tries Not to Be

Suzanne Santos, Australian country manager of skin care brand Aesop, tells me she does not like the phrase "cult beauty product." But that doesn't mean this Melbourne brand doesn't have a cultish following. When I tell friends I’m going to interview Santos, their reaction is unanimously enthusiastic, with a feeling that those who have discovered the brand are in on a treasured secret. People talk of the incredible fragrance of the products, and the impeccably designed stores. Using something from Aesop feels special, they say.

This popularity is interesting when you note that Aesop shuns some of the marketing techniques widely embraced by other brands. The packaging is uniform — 79 formulas housed in near-identical brown bottles and squeezable beige tubes. It is designed this way so as not to detract attention from the products inside. And while other companies shout about organic, natural ingredients, the most prominent names on the jar of something called B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel that Santos hands me are D-panthenol, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, and sodium lactate.

“We don’t call ourselves natural,” she says, marking it as a deliberate point of difference. “We fit into a category that is really comfortable for us and really uncomfortable for other brands. We celebrate science, and understand that you need a blend of well-chosen man-made ingredients with exceptional botanical ingredients to make remarkable products.”

Santos has been Aesop founder Dennis Paphitis’s second-in-command since he launched the brand 26 years ago. He has spoken highly of her, telling one interviewer, “Nothing is simple with Suzanne, but everything is richer. She questions everything rigorously … She’s always inspiring those around her to move further, push harder and aim higher.”

The feeling is mutual. Santos is entirely devoted to Aesop and speaks of Paphitis in glowing terms. Few people can say they’ve worked for one company for quarter of a century and never fallen out of love with it — but she is clearly one of them. While down in Australia, the Cut asked her about this lasting relationship, the importance of a great scent, and working at a beauty company that's uninfluenced by its competitors.

Via: Aesop: The Cult Beauty Brand That Tries Not to Be